Conveyor worm for conveying liquids and mud-like substances

ABSTRACT

A worm conveyor, especially for conveying liquid and mud, with a trough partly surrounding the worm and with a drive for rotating said worm, in which one end of said worm is rotatably journalled directly on said trough, whereas the other end of the worm is drivingly connected to said drive and through the latter is indirectly supported by said trough.

United States Patent Bauer [54] CONVEYOR WORM FOR CONVEYING LIQUIDS ANDMUD-LIKE SUBSTANCES [72] Inventor: Josef Bauer, Gustavsburg, Germany[73] Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Numberg AktiengesellschaftZweigniederlassung Nurnberg, Nurnberg, Germany [22] Filed: July 7, 1970[21] Appl. No.: 52,935

[52] U.S. Cl. ..417/423, 415/122, 198/213 [51] Int. Cl.....F04b 17/00,F04!) 35/04, FOld 15/12,

F03d 11/02, B65g 33/00 [58] Field of Search ..4l7/423; 415/122; 198/213Aug. 29, 1972 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,914,4866/1933 Burton ..l98/2l3 X 2,812,054 11/1957 Dorris etal ..l98/2l3494,368 3/ 1893 Decker ..198/2l3 X 3,454,213 7/1969 Valbjom ..4l7/902Primary ExaminerRobert M. Walker Attorney-Walter Becker [57] ABSTRACT Aworm conveyor, especially for conveying liquid and mud, with a troughpartly surrounding the worm and with a drive for rotating said wonn, inwhich one end of said worm is rotatably joumalled directly on saidtrough, whereas the other end of the worm is drivingly connected to saiddrive and through the latter is indirectly supported by said trough.

9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures CONVEYOR WORM FOR CONVEYING LIQUIDS ANDMUD-LIKE SUBSTANCES The present invention relates to a conveyor worm forconveying liquids and mud-like substances, which comprises a troughsurrounding the worm and also comprises a drive for rotating theconveyor worm.

Especially in the waste water art, it is known to introduce into theso-called sedimentation or settling tanks the waste water and from thesetanks to withdraw the waste water by means of conveyor worms forpurposes of further presettling or prepurifying the waste water.Depending on the further processing of the waste water, the liquids ormud-like substances are withdrawn from such sedimentation tanks. Theconveyor worms employed for withdrawing the liquids or mud-likesubstances are, as a rule, rotatably joumalled in troughs whichlikewise, depending on the intended purpose of employment, arestationary or are together with the conveyor worm mounted on thefoundation so as to be adjustable as to height. The adjustability of theworm or trough as to height has, in contrast to stationary arrangements,the advantage that the conveyor worm will be able to operate within theoptimum working range inasmuch as this worm is adapted to be immersed inthe liquid or mud-like substance in conformity with the level of theliquid or mud to be conveyed. In order to be able to withdraw the liquidor mud from the tank, it is necessary to rotate the conveyor worm and itis for this reason that the conveyor worm or worms are provided withdrives usually preceded by a transmissron.

With a heretofore known conveyor worm of the type involved, the drivefor driving the worm is mounted on a supporting frame, and this drive isthrough the output shaft thereof drivingly connected to the input shaftof the worm through a coupling or clutch. The supporting frame isconnected to the trough of the worm trough pump and is adapted togetherwith the tiltably journalled trough to be tilted about a joint inconformity with the desired level or height. Inasmuch as the supportingframe for the drive of the worm has to be designed relatively heavy inorder to be able to support the weight of the drive withoutdifficulties, the necessity arises, during the lifting and lowering ofthe conveyor worm or of the trough, also to have to lift and lower theheavy frame.

It is this fact which has given rise to the present invention and, morespecifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide aconveyor worm for conveying liquids and mud-like substances which willhave only a relatively low weight.

This object and otherobjects and advantages of the invention will appearmore clearly from the following specification in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the conveyor worm in conformity withthe invention.

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged partial section through that end of theconveyor worm according to FIG. 1 which is adjacent the drive, and alsoshows a compact design of the drive.

FIG. 3 likewise shows an enlarged section through a portion of the sameconveyor part as FIG. 2 but with a non-compact drive design.

The conveyor worm for conveying liquids, mud-like substances, and thelike according to the present invention, which is provided with a troughpartially surrounding the wormand is furthermore provided with a drivefor rotating the conveyor worm, is characterized primarily in that oneend of the conveyor worm is directly rotatably joumalled on the troughwhereas the other end of the worm is connected to a drive flanged tosaid last mentioned end while the worm through the said end of the wormis indirectly connected to the trough.

According to a further development of the invention, and for purposes ofobtaining a compact design, the drive is designed as a geared enginewith a bearing bushing connected to the end of the conveyor worm andwith a bearing stud for rotatably journalling said bearing bushing, saidstud being non-rotatably connected to the trough.

In view of the above outlined features, the problem underlying thepresent invention has not only been solved in an advantageous mannerbut, in addition thereto, a conveyor worm has been created which isparticularly simple. Due to the fact that the motor and transmission aremounted in a shaft tube, the motor and the transmission are fullyprotected against dust and jet water. The water passing by the shafttube may simultaneously be employed for cooling the driving electromotorand also for cooling the transmission oil.

Due to the fact that according to a further feature of the invention,when designing the drive as a compact drive, the stationary winding ofthe drive motor is mounted on the bearing stud and the rotating windingis mounted on the bearing bushing, a particularly simple tap is obtainedthrough the stud on the stationary trough for transmitting the torque.

Depending on the purpose for which the conveyor worm is to be used,i.e., whether the difference in height between the lower and the upperbrine level remains the same or varies greatly, the conveyor worm maywith greatly varying differences together with its trough be adjustableas to height. To this end, according to a further development of theinvention, the trough is within the range of its preferably upper endrotatably joumalled in a bearing in the foundation and with its otherend is pivotally suspended on a spindle drive for lifting and loweringthe trough or the conveyor worm. According to a further feature of theinvention, the bearing at the side of the foundation may be designed asknife edge hearing.

If a compact design of the driving end of the conveyor worm is notimportant, according to a further feature of the invention, preferablywith stationary worm trough pumps, the transmission may be provided inthe bearing bushing and the drive motor may be arranged outside thetrough while the transmission and the drive motor are interconnectedthrough a shaft which is surrounded by a hollow bearing stud.

Immersed in a tank 1 serving to collect a liquid, sludge or slurry, is aconveyor worm 3 which is partly surrounded by a trough 2. The conveyorworm 3 in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 is directlymounted with its lower end on the trough 2, whereas the opposite, upperend is similarly, but indirectly mounted on the trough 2, with drivemeans to rotate the conveyor worm 3 interposed. Furthermore the trough 2itself is mounted with its upper end, i.e., the end adjacent to thedrive 4, on a knife-edge bearing 6 secured in a partition of the tank 1,while its bottom end is hinged to a screw 7, the drive 8 of which isfixed at a stationary point 9 serving to vary the angle of the conveyorworm 3 and trough 2. The drive 4 which in the embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2 takes the form of a geared motor, consists of a motorsection 12 comprising electric windings 10 and 11 and a gearing sectioncomprising gears 13 and 14. The motor section 12 and the gearing section15 are housed in a cylindrical bushing (or rather shell) 16 whichprojects with a substantial length into the hollow shaft 17 of theconveyor worm 3 in which it is fixed for positive torque transmission byring flanges 18, 19. In order to obtain a torque-transmitting joint,there is a ring flange 19 fitted to the bushing (shell) 16 and anotherring flange 18 is fitted inside to the end of the shaft 17, the ringflanges l8 and 19 being solidly connected by means of a number of boltsspaced around the circumference of the flanges. The bushing (shell) 16,having its one end, which projects into the shaft 17 closed by anannular support ring 21 and an end plate 23 covering the annular opening22 of the support ring, is supported with the end projecting from theshaft 17 on the stud (or rathertrunnion) 24 of the geared motor, thestud (trunnion) being fixed by means of a flanged collar to the end wall26 of the trough 2. Supporting the end of the cylindrical bushing(shell) projecting from the hollow shaft 17 on the stud (trunnion) 24and sealing of this end and, thereby, the interior of the bushing(shell) 16, from the trough space 27 to prevent ingress of liquid, is bya collar 31 incorporating the bearing 29 and a seal 30 provided betweenan annular flange 28 attached to the inside of the bushing (shell) closeto its outer end and the stud (trunnion) 24. The collar 31 is supportedon the stud (trunnion) 24 and provided with circular-flanges 32 and 33,directed away from the stud (trunnion), the collar being solidlyconnected by bolts 34 to the annular flange 28 of the bushing (shell)16. The motor section 12, which consists of the stationary winding 10and the rotating winding 11, is arranged inside bushing (shell) 16 in amanner that the stationary winding 10 is connected at its ends to frames35 and 36, which are a sliding fit inside shell 16. Each frame 35 and 36is of annular shape with the greater diameter providing a slidingsupport for bushing (shell) 16. In addition to the central bores 39 and40 in which the motor is supported, the frames 35 and 36 have additionalopenings 41 to permit the power supply lead 37 to be brought into thestationary winding 10 and to support one end of the shaft 38 of thegearing section 15. The rotating winding 11 of the motor section 12 ismounted on a shaft 42 which has journals 43 and 44 at its ends by meansof which the winding 11 is centrally supported in the frames 35 and 36.The power supply to the rotating winding 11 is by means of another leadnot shown in the drawing whose wires are connected to the collectorbrushes 45 of the rotating winding 11. The power is transmitted to thegearing section 15 from the shaft 42 of the rotating winding 11 by meansof a pinion 46 projecting into the gearing section to mesh with thefirst gear 13. Via gear 13 and shaft 38, the motor output is taken tothe second gear 14 also mounted on shaft 38 and, thence, to an internalgear ring 47 flanged to the support ring 21. By this internal gear ring47, which is solidly connected to the support ring 21, the power istransmitted to bushing (shell) 16 and from there to hollow shaft 17 ofthe conveyor worm 3. The shaft 38 of the gearing section 15 is formedwith journals 48 and 49 supported in bearings 50 and 51, one beingmounted in the frame 35 next to the motor section 12 and the other on asupport collar 52 which is flanged to end plate 23. The bearings 50 and51 supporting shaft 38 may be standard ball bearings. The power lead 37to the motor section or, where separate leads are adopted to thestationary winding 10 and the rotating windings 11, the necessary powerleads, are laid in a tube extending from the collar 31 to a terminal box53. This tube, which forms the stud (trunnion) 24, extends through theend wall 26 of the trough 2 and is provided on the outside with a flangecollar 25 for better support. This stationary stud (trunnion) 24 servesas a torque reaction support for the motor section 12 so that, with thewinding 10 fast to the stud (trunnion), the rotating winding 11 can turnto produce useful torque. The terminal box 53 containing terminals 54for the motor section 12 and an entry 55 for the power leads as well asa cover 56 to seal the terminal box is preferably of watertightconstruction and solidly attached to stud (trunnion) 24. Due to the factthat the terminal box 55 is located outside the conveyor, the powerleads will in no way interfere with the raising and lowering of theconveyor 23. Varying the angle of inclination of the conveyor 23 in thetank 1 is effected by means of the drive 8 operating a screw spindle 7which is hinged to bracket 9. The inclination of the conveyor 23 can beselected so that it will operate in its range of optimum lift, or withthe worm 3 immersed at optimum depth. The liquid, sludge or slurrybrought up out of the tank 1 can be discharged at the drive end of theconveyor 2 3 via a chute 57. Discharge can be into another tank orconveyor not shown in the drawing. This arrangement of an integral driveofiers the advantage of very short length of the conveyor, because themotor section 12 and gearing section 15 are accommodated inside thehollow shaft 17 of the worm impeller 3.

Where a compact design of the drive head of the conveyor 23 is notimportant, it is possible, as shown in the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 3 to have the gearing section 15 of the drive 4 inside bushing(shell) 16 and the motor section 12' outboard mounted, i.e., outside thetrough 2'. In this case, the gearing section 15 and the motor section 12would be connected by means of a shaft 57 extending through thetrepanned stud (trunnion) 24 and a coupling 58 between shaft 57 andmotor section 12'. This design, which lends itself specially forfixed-angle troughs, offers another advantage in that it can beconstructed at reduced costs. Apart from this, the drive head 4 issimilar to the embodiment described in the foregoing, with the exception that bushing (shell) 16' is of a somewhat shorter length, becauseit is only the gearing section 15' that projects into the hollow shaft17 of the conveyor worm 3.

Generally, both drive versions for the conveyor worms 3 lend themselvesto fixed-angle and variableangle trough applications.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by nomeans, limited to the specific showing in the drawings but alsocomprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A worm conveyor, especially for conveying liquid and mud, whichincludes: a shaft means capable of being rotatably driven and hollow onat least one end thereof, worm means on said shaft means, trough meanspartially surrounding said worm means peripherally, one end of said wormmeans being rotatably journalled on said shaft means directly on saidtrough means, and driving means at least in part fitted compactlycomplementary into said trough means and drivingly connected to theother end of said worm means and rigidly supported by said trough meansso as to thereby indirectly journal said other end of said worm means onsaid trough means.

2. A worm conveyor according to claim 1, in which said driving meansincludes geared driving means with a bearing bushing connected to saidother end of said worm means and with a bearing stud for rotatablysupporting said bearing bushing, said bearing stud being non-rotatablyconnected to said trough means.

3. A worm conveyor according to claim 2, in which said driving meansincludes electric motor means having stationary winding means connectedto extension of said bearing stud and also having rotary winding meansconnected to said bearing bushing.

4. A worm conveyor according to claim 1, which includes adjusting meansassociated with said trough means and worm means for adjusting saidtrough means and said worm means as to height.

5. A worm conveyor according to claim 4, in which said adjusting meansincludes spindle means pivotally connected to one end of said troughmeans and operable selectively to lift and lower said one end of saidtrough means, said conveyor also including supporting means tiltablysupporting the other end of said trough means and defining the pivotaxis about which said trough means is tiltable by actuation of saidspindle means. i

6. A worm conveyor according to claim 5, in which said supporting meansforms a knife-edge bearing.

7. A worm conveyor according to claim 1, which includes bearing bushingmeans connected to said other end of said worm means, and in which saiddriving means includes motor means and transmission means, saidtransmission means at least being located within said bearing bushingmeans, and said motor means being located outside said bearing bushingmeans and said trough means, said conveyor also including said shaftmeans drivingly interconnecting said motor means and said transmissionmeans, and hollow bearing stud means surrounding said shaft means androtatably journalling said bearing bushing means.

8. A worm conveyor according to claim 7, which includes coupling meansinterposed between said shaft means and said motor means.

9. A worm conveyor according to claim 7, in which said transmissionmeans has flanged connection to said motor means and with exception ofsaid stud means fits compactly in said bushing means.

1. A worm conveyor, especially for conveying liquid and mud, whichincludes: a shaft means capable of being rotatably driven and hollow onat least one end thereof, worm means on said shaft means, trough meanspartially surrounding said worm means peripherally, one end of said wormmeans being rotatably journalled on said shaft means directly on saidtrough means, and driving means at least in part fitted compactlycomplementary into said trough means and drivingly connected to theother end of said worm means and rigidly supported by said trough meansso as to thereby indirectly journal said other end of said worm means onsaid trough means.
 2. A worm conveyor according to claim 1, in whichsaid driving means includes geared driving means with a bearing bushingconnected to said other end of said worm means and with a bearing studfor rotatably supporting said bearing bushing, said bearing stud beingnon-rotatably connected to said trough means.
 3. A worm conveyoraccording to claim 2, in which said driving means includes electricmotor means having stationary winding means connected to extension ofsaid bearing stud and also having rotary winding means connected to saidbearing bushing.
 4. A worm conveyor according to claim 1, which includesadjusting means associated with said trough means and worm means foradjusting said trough means and said worm means as to height.
 5. A wormconveyor according to claim 4, in which said adjusting means includesspindle means pivotally connected to one end of said trough means andoperable selectively to lift and lower said one end of said troughmeans, said conveyor also including supporting means tiltably supportingthe other end of said trough means and defining the pivot axis aboutwhich said trough means is tiltable by actuation of said spindle means.6. A worm conveyor according to claim 5, in which said supporting meansforms a knife-edge bearing.
 7. A worm conveyor according to claim 1,which includes bearing bushing means connected to said other end of saidworm means, and in which said driving means includes motor means andtransmission means, said transmission means at least being locatedwithin said bearing bushing means, and said motor means being locatedoutside said bearing bushing means and said trough means, said conveyoralso including said shaft means drivingly interconnecting said motormeans and said transmission means, and hollow bearing stud meanssurrounding said shaft means and rotatably journalling said bearingbushing means.
 8. A worm conveyor according to claim 7, which includescoupling means interposed between said shaft means and said motor means.9. A worm conveyor according to claim 7, in which said transmissionmeans has flanged connection to said motor means and with exception ofsaid stud means fits compactly in said bushing means.